The Heart Sutra contains Buddhism's most direct, most succinct teaching about the true nature of our own being and of all reality. These subtle and easily misunderstood teachings lie at the very heart of all Buddhist wisdom, and a thorough understanding of them is essential for attaining what the Dalai Lama calls "an unmistaken view of reality" - a view that brings about true liberation from the source of all suffering. Clarifying the meaning of the Buddhist term "emptiness", the Dalai Lama dispels misperceptions that it implies a nihilistic outlook or a philosophical view with no real implications in our lives, skillfully guiding the reader to a clear appreciation of a profound truth. Recently delivered to thousands of eager listeners in Mountain View, California, these teachings unfold through a series of increasingly subtle presentations, carefully building one atop another, in lucid language that will appeal both to readers with a great deal of familiarity with Buddhism and those with none at all. The Essence of Heart Sutra truly is the definitive presentation of a critical Buddhist teaching - from one of the world's most beloved teachers.

Tenzin Gyamtso, the 14th Dalai Lama, was born on July 6, 1935 in a small village called Takster in northeastern Tibet. At the age of two, His Holiness was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalaia Lama. He was enthroned at the age of five and assumed full political power in 1950. In 1959, His Holiness was forced into exile and has striven ever since for a peaceful solution to the the Sino-Tibetan crisis. He continually promotes his compassionate approach to life struggles, whether personal or global, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

Editor's Preface

ix

1. Buddhism in Context

Chapter 1: The Quest for Inner Development

3

Chapter 2: Religion in Today's World

9

Many Teachings, Many Paths

9

Maintaining One's Own Tradition

13

Sharing Each Other's Traditions

14

Learning from Other Traditions

17

Chapter 3: The Foundations of Buddhism

21

Defining Features

21

The Buddha

22

The First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma

25

The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

29

The Afflictions

31

Abandoning the Causes of Suffering

36

Chapter 4: The Great Vehicle

41

The Mahayana School

41

Nagarjuna and the Great Vehicle

42

Origins of the Great Vehicle

46

Chapter 5: Freedom from Suffering

49

Suffering and Compassion

49

Integrating All the Teachings

52

II The Heart Sutra

Text of the Heart Sutra

59

Chapter 6: The Opening

63

The Perfection of Wisdom Sutras

63

Giving the Title and Paying Homage

65

The Origin of the Teaching

68

Essence and Form

70

Chapter 7: Entering the Bodgisattva Path

77

The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

77

Noble Sons and Noble Daughters

79

Buddha Nature

82

The Way Things Are

83

Chapter 8: Selflessness in Context

87

Ultimate Bodhicitta

87

The Doctrine of No-self

88

The Four Seals

91

Chapter 9: Interpreting Emptiness

99

The Two Types of Selflessness

99

The Mind-only Interpretation

101

Definitive Versus Provisional Interpretations

104

The Middle Way Interpretation

106

The Two Middle Way Schools

108

Emptiness and Dependent Origination

111

Chapter 10: Developing an Unmistaken View of Reality

113

Correctly Refuting Intrinsic Existence

113

Understanding the Two Truths

114

Traditions of Interpretations

119

The Eight Aspects of Emptiness

121

Chapter 11: Attaining the Result

125

The Emptiness of All Phenomena

125

Nirvana

127

The Mantra of the Perfections of Wisdom

129

The Implicit Meaning of the Heart Sutra

131

All Rejoice

133

III: The Way of the Bodhisattva

Chapter 12: Generating Bodhicitta

139

A Gradual Approach

139

The Seven-Point Cause-and-Effect Metod

140

Equalizing and Exchanging Oneself and Others

143

Self-Cherishing Versus Cherishing Others

144

The Practice of Giving and Taking

146

Generating Bodhicitta

146

Afterword

149

Appendix: Thorough Elucidation of the Meaning of the Words: An Exposition of the "Heart of Wisdom'